A feast of festive tables and fine food awaited the guests at Safe Harbor’s Tablescapes Luncheon on Saturday at the First Baptist Church Family Living Center. Twenty tables imaginatively decorated by their hostesses were in contention for the judging, with additional non-competitive tables attractively styled to welcome the many luncheon guests in attendance.

Once the votes were tabulated, Mandy Little, with her “out-of-the- box” fruit-themed “Children are the Fruit of the World,” took first place honors; Abbie Ballew and Ashley Keith’s “The Winners Circle” took second place, and third place honors went to Vesta Taylor and her “Jesus Loves all the Little Children” tablescape. Brandi Mosley and her “Lighting a Path for a Child” tablescape earned the People’s Choice Award.

Before and after the meal catered by Bates House of Turkey, guests also enjoyed browsing among a large array of donated items for the event’s silent auction, everything from a hand-crafted porch swing to pieces of original artwork.

The annual fundraiser brings in very welcome funds to Safe Harbor, says director Kathy Smyth, who estimates the event raised close to $10,000.

“ Charlotte Tesmer mentioned that we started in the courtroom annex in a small room—basically a closet–with a child-sized table and chairs. It was comical at the time, to see the grown ups sitting in those tiny chairs talking to children in those days,” Smyth recalled.

With the donation of a building on Caldwell St. by the City of Greenville, and a renovation by Safe Harbor’s first board of directors, they had a spacious and welcoming place that continues to meet the center’s needs.

“We’ve experienced 20 years of board members, multi-disciplinary members, associated agencies, donors and fundraisers, volunteers and staff members, all from our community and caring enough to get involved and help what is now thousands of children in need from over these past two decades,” said Smyth. “Some of these children are in need of rescuing from an abusive home; others are in need of medical care or counseling, others in need of a new beginning. Now that’s what I call making a difference.  It truly takes a village to be able to do what we do for those children.”